Found with translation

Discover classic Australian books in multiple languages

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) Multicultural Group are creating ways to share information that is more inclusive and accessible for our culturally and linguistically diverse nation. They are working to make Australian publications more accessible. This includes using Trove lists to meaningfully group publications and cultural material. They are creating Trove lists to highlight popular Australian publications that have been translated from English into other languages.  

Joey Chung (Holmesglen Institute) and Alice Chik (Macquarie University) from ALIA Multicultural are leading the project.  

‘There is plenty of great Australian Literature translated into other languages, and they were not widely publicised in Australia. We would like to use this project to raise awareness of the translated Australian Literature available, and how they will contribute to the diverse community,’ Joey said. 

The Group hopes the project will help Australians connect with their multicultural and linguistic heritage. 

‘Multicultural collections are frequently used as connection to cultural and linguistic heritages, but they can be used as connections to Australian cultures and history,’ Joey said. 

‘There is a growing trend of migrant grandparents being involved with their grandchildren’s early childhood education. Australian picture books translated in languages other than English allow grandparents to know more about and get involved with their grandchildren's schooling. The same goes for parents who may not be familiar with Australian children's literature,’ Alice said. 

‘Australian Literature published in English may be difficult to access for additional languages readers, but reading Australian authors in a familiar language may open up new avenues for intercultural understanding and harmony,’ Joey said. 

The project started with two Trove lists, Australian fiction translated into Chinese and Australian non-fiction translated into Chinese. Now the project has grown to 14 Trove lists with languages including French, Japanese, Chinese, German and Italian.  

Discover the lists  

Four book covers written in Chinese

There are already 14 lists that have been created by Joey and Alice. Explore the links below to enjoy the translated content. 

Fiction 

Non-Fiction 

Picture Books 

Two books covers. The one on the left is written in French. The one on the right is written in Spanish.

 

The team are also looking for volunteers to help with this project. Find out more on the ALIA Multicultural website.